Chennai, Sep 21 : Welcoming the ‘delayed’ Women’s Reservation Bill passed
in the Parliament that provides 33 per cent quota for women in Parliament and
Legislatures, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M.K.Stalin said it was
now passed by the BJP-led regime at the Centre, after being silent for nine long
years, only with an eye on the ensuing Lok Sabha polls fearing defeat.
In a statement here last night, Mr Stalin, who has all along been supporting
this cause as TN is the first state to implement it, made a strong call to defeat
the “political conspiracy” to reduce the number of Lok Sabha seats from south
India, through the proposed delimitation exercise based on the new population
census.
“The census hangs as a Damoclean sword over the south Indian states. We
have to defeat the political conspiracy to reduce the Lok Sabha seats in south
India based on the new census”, he said.
“Any attempt to cause injustice to Tamil Nadu, a State with high political awareness,
should be nipped in the bud,” he declared.
Mr. Stalin said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should assure the people that no
injustice would be caused to those in south India under the guise of delimitation.
“I urge the Prime Minister to dispel the fear of south Indian people,” he said.
Observing that the BJP government at the Centre could have passed this Bill
any time during its nine year long tenure if it was really genuine about it,Mr Stalin
said “DMK MP Kanimozhi led a rally in Delhi in support of the reservation. But
the BJP government did nothing”
“As the election to the Lok Sabha polls is fast approaching and the BJP fearing
a defeat, it has now mplemented the 33% reservation to projec it itself that this
is as an achievement,” he alleged.
Not mncing any words, Mr Stalin contrasted this with what he termed as the
“urgency and stubbornness” shown by the BJP in bringing in legislations for
certain other causes like the abrogation of Article 370 or the introduction of
10% reservation for economically weaker sections.
Mr Stalin said he would welcome and support the Bill though it had been
delayed and the BJP was bringing it in now, as an “eyewash” to divert the
attention of people, from other pressing issues.
“I urge those in power to also consider the fair demand that women belonging
to Backward Classes (BC) and Most Backward Classes should be given
reservations in the Bill,” he added.
Mr. Stalin said India was the only country that had failed to conduct a decennial
census and the BJP government had not given any assurance on the issue.
“It is really strange that the BJP is planning to enact a law to provide 33% quota
for women which will come into effect in 2029, and it is also not clear when the
Census will take place,” he said.
